Atlas Cloud And The Amulet of Thieves by L.M.J. Rayner Read Free Book Online Page A

films of medieval times. The path at each twenty foot stopping point had a small lantern lighting the way. They looked like fireflies hovering in the night, our guardians for our journey.
     
    “Where are we staying then?” I asked, worried that we would be sleeping outside on the grass.
     
    “There’s an inn not far from here, we will stay the night and then we must get an early start in the morning. We have a two day trek ahead of us.” Farro told us using his lit staff to aid the fireflies.
     
    “These are not the friendliest of folk so don’t say or do much.” Roko said.
     
    “Great, my middle name is, not do very much.” Eli said turning to me with a wink, I smiled trying not to give him the satisfaction of making me laugh. He’s going to have to try harder than that! We reached the inn, tired and hungry. It wasn’t far from the abandoned house, but I haven’t eaten for what feels like a lifetime. There was a sign swinging from the white walled inn, which simply read ‘Galloping Gazelle’. There was a man sitting on a rocking chair outside the inn. He was smoking a pipe and had a big brown knotted beard, which was grubby and overgrown. The foul stench exuding from his body was unbearable, as if he’d never bathed in his life. I had the urge to grab him by the head and dunk him in the nearest river. I held back the urge.
     
    Eli and I kept silent not wanting to attract any attention to us, while Roko and Farro sorted out the room. The room was quite busy and buzzing with life. We dissolved into the background, even though our clothes were so different. The entire room was wearing all sorts of variations of leather armour. Straps and belts along the chest, small pockets and satchels, some were wearing dark brown and others had golden yellow. Not all of them were wearing such exquisite attire; a few had basic linens on and normal thread shirts. They all carried some sort of weapon, be it a bow or a sword.
     
    It felt as though the mirror transported us back three hundred years to the past, where the sword overruled the pen and kings ruled the land. I was scared at first glance but it soon passed, I had always imagined what it would be like to live in this time, I might as well make the most of it. For all I know the next town over could be filled with Egyptians or Vikings.
     
    The room we had for the night was small and dinghy. There were four single beds crammed into the room, with only enough space to squeeze into the tight space of the bed. The gang rested well, knowing we had quite a hike in the morning. I could see in Eli’s eyes that he wanted to chat all night about what has happened but he could see my eyelids closing and unintentionally ignoring him, so he gave up and went to bed as well. I was too exhausted to worry about the nightmare that was inevitably going to befall my dream, but I couldn’t hold out and collapsed, drifting off to sleep.
     
     
     
    I awoke to the hot fires of the crash and the shill screams of the lady in the mirror. Both nightmares haunting me together, both against me, it’s still in the middle of the night, and not wanting to endure more sleep, I decide to take a stroll in the town to get fresh air. I throw on some clothes and sneak past Roko, whose bed was closest to the door. Drunks and passed out regulars littered the tables and chairs, most of who were slumped over snoring. I past the stinking man in the rocking chair, who was asleep too with his pipe still lit and resting on his chest. The chair he was sat in still rocked back and forth. I stood there and watched him for a while. His eyes were closed and he was breathing softly. I leaned in closer to examine the stranger’s tattoos on his face and could just make them out under his beard and hat.
     
    “What you lookin’ at boy?” He said with a deep, rough voice, opening his eyes. He startled me and I jumped back slightly, trying not to fall over.
     
    “Nothing. Sorry.” I said, sputtering away from